


A Final Intersection

by josiepug



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Future Fic, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1707344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josiepug/pseuds/josiepug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaime and Tyrion haven't seen each other since the night Tyrion killed their father. A lot has changed. Some things haven't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Final Intersection

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly just an angsty conversation that I think the Lannister brothers need to have. A little background since this is a future fic: Cersei is dead. Dany is on the Iron throne. Tyrion is her Hand. The Others are totally irrelevant for some reason. This is in no way what I think will happen; I just needed a setting for this conversation. Ok, enjoy the read and please review.
> 
> EDIT: I wrote this one a while ago and some of you have probably seen it, but I decided to add the Jaime/Brienne tag even though Brienne herself doesn't appear in this story. I'm too much of a shipper to have left her out completely and considering the dearth of fics lately I thought some of you might be interested.

Jaime Lannister was alone. He breathed a sigh of relief; after months of being shuffled from dungeon to dungeon, of being guarded day and night by the Dragon Queen’s eunuch guards, it felt amazing just to stroll through the night. He knew there were eyes watching him, birds and spiders and other creatures reporting to their various masters, but for now he was gloriously alone.

The main gate leading out from the Red Keep was strangely silent. Even in the middle of the night, there should have been someone there. _They have all drawn back for a better view. The Kingslayer escaping justice once more._ But Jaime wasn’t the Kingslayer anymore. He wasn’t even a knight. By all rights he shouldn’t be alive except that Queen Daenerys had allowed Brienne of Tarth to champion him. _Stupid wench. Couldn’t she see that I intended to die? Better to die sword in hand than burned alive._ But Brienne’s honor had gotten in the way and Ser Barristan had been forced to yield before half the court. Jaime felt a rush of satisfaction as he remembered the old man’s face. Neither Barristan nor his queen had counted on Brienne’s astonishing skill. Still, here he was, leaving the Red Keep for what he hoped to be the last time, in the middle of the night, with orders never to return. He wished he had gotten to tease Brienne about the dress she had been stuffed into when she arrived at King’s Landing.

Jaime was just starting to smile to himself at the thought of what he might have said when he heard a noise. Instantly, Jaime reached for his sword, but of course it had been taken months ago. Damn the Queen. He stopped instead, listening, trying to pinpoint the sound.

He had just about given up when someone appeared in front of him. After a moment, Jaime laughed in surprise. The sound echoed eerily off the walls.

“Tyrion. What brings you out so late at night? Shouldn’t the Hand of the Queen be…well…on hand should the Queen need him?”

The torches above the gate cast deep shadows on Tyrion’s face, accentuating the scarring there. He did not smile. “I came to wish you farewell. I doubt we shall meet again.”

Jaime tilted his head, perplexed. “Dear brother, remember the last time we wished each other farewell? It was not an experience I care to repeat. Though I’m afraid you might have been right after all.”

“I was lying.” Tyrion did not sound as if he regretted it.

“I was not.” _For once._ “And you only lied about Joffrey. Everything else…Cersei…”

“Is that why you killed her?” Tyrion sounded nothing more than curious, but Jaime flinched anyway. He looked away, massaging the stump that used to hold a hand, first flesh, then gold.

“No, it isn’t. I killed her because I was the only one who could.” Jaime’s voice was flat, detached.

“Like you killed the Mad King?” Tyrion asked, almost gently.

“Cersei was braver.”

The silence stretched after that. Tyrion studied his brother’s face intently, searching for something. Finally, he said:

“You still love her.” It was not a question.

“Yes. I don’t believe I know how to stop. Then again, you have a similar problem. I’m still sorry, you know. But I think it was…I’m glad you killed him.”

“You wouldn’t have done it.”

“No, but I was never quite the lion you are. Father didn’t see it, and it cost him in the end. He had forgotten about that debt.”

Tyrion was still looking at Jaime strangely. “You’ve changed, I think. Well the Tarth woman swears you have, and I do believe she knows what she’s talking about.”

“Her name is Brienne.” Tyrion blinked, but didn’t comment. Somewhere in the city, a bell chimed twice. 

“I must be going back. My Queen awaits me. I won’t be seeing you, Jaime.” As his little brother turned to waddle away, Jaime felt something aching inside of him. _They all leave in the end._ He hadn’t even done anything this time, just paying for crimes done ages ago, by a man who had died silently somewhere along the way. Tyrion had nearly disappeared when Jaime called out.

“The Queen, is she like Aerys?” Tyrion turned back, his face completely in shadow now.

“About as much as you are like Joffrey.” The ghost of a smile brushed Tyrion’s lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“There’s hope for her yet, brother.” And Tyrion Lannister disappeared into the shadows.


End file.
